Studies Suggest Acetaminophen-Asthma Link

Studies Suggest Acetaminophen-Asthma Link

Article excerpt

The worldwide dramatic increase in childhood asthma has been something of a mystery. Researchers started noticing the rise in the 1980s after doctors stopped prescribing aspirin for kids' fevers, opting instead for acetaminophen-and they wondered if there might be a connection.

More than 20 studies have been conducted since then, with data on more than 200,000 children. Last November, the journal "Pediatrics" published a paper by Dr. John T. McBride of Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio arguing that the evidence for a link between acetaminophen and asthma is strong enough for pediatricians to avoid recommending its use with infants and children who have asthma or are at risk for it. "Almost every study that's looked for it has found a doseresponse relationship between acetaminophen use and asthma," Dr. McBride said. "The association is incredibly consistent across age, geography and culture."

The British journal "Lancet" reported a study that found the prevalence of asthma increasing in direct proportion to the sales of acetaminophen in 36 countries. …